No problem
catching big cats in muddy water
Sunday, January 21, 2007
By MIKE THOMPSON
Special to the Press-Register
Anglers were disappointed to see the phenomenal fishing of the fall and
early winter come to an end after the recent rise on the rivers of the
Mobile Delta pushed muddy water down and saltwater fish out.
Anglers are now targeting a few bream and bass in the creeks of the Delta.
Finding clear water is a pretty tough proposition right now, but when you
find it you can still put a few fish in the cooler.
Fishing an area as large as the Delta requires many years for an angler to
master. Two such anglers are brothers Larry and Barry Scott, the owners of
Scott's Landing, located on the Causeway at the foot of Spanish Fort Hill.
Larry Scott recently said anglers who have stopped fishing because of the
high water are missing out on some great catfish action.
"We had a great fall season on both saltwater and freshwater species this
year," he said. "Folks were leaving the landing with big smiles and lots
of fish. However, with the big rise on the river a lot of fishermen
decided it was over for the year. Well, it might have been for the
saltwater fish for a while, but the catfishing right now is really good."
Larry Scott said that the catfish, which rely on their keen sense of
smell, are not affected by the river rise and muddy water. In fact, for
Delta anglers who target catfish, it's a blessing.
"When the fresh, muddy water comes down it pushes out the saltwater," he
said. "The lower Delta has been real salty for months, keeping the catfish
farther north. Now the catfish are all over. People have been catching
them at the Battery and at the mouth of Mudhole Creek on hook and line. I
have been doing exceptionally well with my trotlines around the mouth of
Grand Bay and the Raft River."
He also said some of the catfish are brutes.
"Most of the fish we see are going from 2 pounds up to 25 pounds. Catch a
few of those and you can invite all your neighbors over for a fish fry!"
Larry Scott said as long as the baits put off a scent, the catfish will
find them no matter how muddy the water.
"Cut baits like pogies, shad or skipjack are all good choices for
catfish," he said. "Most of our fishermen are doing well with dead shrimp.
Some people still use chicken livers and gizzards for bait."
Water temperatures can play a factor in where to target catfish this time
of the year. Deep water is producing the bigger fish, but with a cold snap
on the way Larry Scott said anglers may need to reconsider water-depth
selection.
"After a good cold front moves through and cools the water, Barry and I
like to move our trotlines in shallower areas such as Grand Bay or Bay
Delvan," he said. "This shallower water warms up on sunny days and the
catfish seek out these warmer waters."
An unusual baitRicky "Catfish" Pate, of Krotz Springs, La., also said he
has had success catching big catfish in shallow water.
"I do well on hook and line fishing the cuts off the river, but I catch
the majority of my fish in less than two feet of water," he said.
Pate uses a bait for his catfish lines that most folks would never think
of.
"I save all the guts from the ducks we shoot to bait my catfish lines," he
said. "They are bloody and smelly. That's just what catfish want. The
Mississippi River is pretty cold this time of year and I think the catfish
prefer the shallows where it's warmer, so that's where I concentrate most
of my lines."
Pate has caught huge catfish in skinny water.
"I have caught several over 60 pounds and I lost one the other day that
would go 80 pounds. It was just too big for me to roll over the side of
the boat," Pate said.
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